Extruded logs or extrudates of ceramic are used in a wide variety of applications, such as substrates for automotive exhaust catalytic converters, particulate traps within diesel engines, chemical filtration processes, and the like. The manufacturing process for these extrudates typically includes the transfer of the wet, or green, log along a manufacturing line or cell subsequent to being extruded from an associated extrusion die.
This transfer could be conducted via a manual process that requires an operator to physically touch the ceramic extrudate either with a hand- and/or a utensil. The forces as exerted by the operator onto the ceramic extrudate when touching the same could be variable in nature and differ from operator to operator and part to part, thereby resulting in a non-uniform handling and possibly even deformation of the extrudate during processing. Yet, the tolerances associated with the alignment of the internal cells of many ceramic extrudates must be closely held to assure proper shape and fluid flow therethrough. Cylindrically shaped filters also are difficult to manually handle. Moreover, cycle times associated with the manufacturing process are significantly affected by a non-uniform manual feeding process. Manual manipulation of the extrudates could also involve variability of locating the ceramic extrudates in a position to be fired or cured while also allowing deformation of the associate cells due to gravitational forces.
A manufacturing process is therefore desired that removes the inconsistencies associated with manual feeding of an extruded ceramic log or extrudate, including reducing the deformation of the extrudate during the forming process, increasing the precision of alignment of the extrudate prior to curing and/or firing, and decreasing cycle time.